


Everything Comes Back To You

by tonysleatherjacket



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-11-04 02:48:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10981761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonysleatherjacket/pseuds/tonysleatherjacket
Summary: Tony Padilla is sure every relationship he ever has is destined to fail; all because of a boy named Clay Jensen. If only Clay would return his feelings, or does he already?





	1. Chapter 1

Tony leans against his Mustang, sliding on his sunglasses as he waits. It's January now, and although the air is cold, the sun is still harsh. And like he always seems to be doing, Tony is waiting for Clay. They had at first drifted apart; having been friends in middle school, but once starting high school, they hung out less and less, until they were nothing more than just acquaintances. But now, after the tapes and everything, they've become closer than they'd ever been. Tony was always there for Clay, maybe even a little more than was necessary. 

He watches as Clay exits the school; hands shoved in the pockets of his hoodie, his head down. Tony wishes he didn't always look so sad and withdrawn. He didn't used to look like that all the time, but the crushing guilt of being responsible for a girl's death tends to hang over your head. And Tony had to admit that he had felt the same way at first; constantly waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares, feeling so much self-hatred that you just wish you could crawl out of your skin. It made you sad and it made you isolated. The utter  _guilt_ he felt for the first couple of months was so intense, it nearly tore him apart. But Tony had to remind himself that it was really was ultimately Hannah's decision to end her life, and thinking about what he could've done to prevent it from happening wouldn't do anyone any good. Everyone on the tapes had felt this way. But, cliche as it might sound, life does go on, and you have to move on from even the worst of things. Clay was just a lot slower at this than most.  

"You know, you don't always have to give me a ride." Clay says once he reaches the car. 

Tony smiles slightly, and goes around to the other side to slip into the driver's seat. "I wouldn't if you could drive yourself."

Clay flops down in the seat beside him, not saying anything. He has a sour look on his face.

"I'm only teasing, Clay. It's alright that you don't drive."

Clay scoots down farther in his seat as Tony starts the engine, pulling slowly out of the crowded parking lot. 

"I have my license."

Tony mentally slaps himself, wishing he hadn't made the comment. Jeff's death had taken a toll on Clay, he knew. And Clay was never a fan of Tony's teasing.

"It's just I...I don't want my parents to have to pay for a car for me." Clay shrugs, but Tony knows it's only an excuse. 

"You know your parents wouldn't mind. They could afford it, if you asked."

Tony shifts his gaze from the road to look at Clay for a second, and his heart twists at the broken look on Clay's face.

"I'm sorry, Clay. It's okay that you're still too scared to drive after..." Tony pauses. "I will drive you wherever you need until you're ready."

Tony's phone beeps, but he doesn't even glance at it. 

"It's Brad." Clay says quietly, and Tony thought there might've been a hint of jealously in his voice, but then again, it's probably only Tony's imagination. He'd be lying if he said his feelings for the boy were only platonic. But the way he feels doesn't matter. He would never try anything with Clay; it had only been four months since Hannah Baker, the girl he loved, had died, and besides; Clay was probably, most definitely, straight. And Tony has a  _boyfriend._

"What did he say?" Tony asks.

Clay sighs, and reaches for the phone nestled in between them. "He asked if you wanted to meet for coffee at Monet's." Clay says, sounding a little annoyed. 

"Tell him yes, I'll meet him there in an hour."

Clay types back the response, and sets the cell phone down a little too harshly. "Don't you two ever go anywhere except for Monet's?" 

They're in Clay's neighborhood by now. "We do." Tony awkwardly laughs. "We go to the movies sometimes, or out to dinner."

Clay stays silent until they reach his street. "I'm sorry, it just...seems like you guys are always going to Monet's."

Tony furrows his eyebrows in confusion as he stops the car. "You're not...jealous, are you Clay?" 

Clay's cheeks instantly heat up, and Tony sits there, praying for Clay to say something like:  _I am, Tony, because I like you. I don't want you with Brad, I wish you were with me instead._ But of course Clay doesn't say that, and Tony feels his heart plummet to the ground. 

"Of course not, Tony." Clay looks a little embarrassed, and like he wants to say something else about the accusation, but instead just says, "Thanks for the ride, I'll see you tomorrow." And then he gets out of the car and heads inside his house, not even looking back once as Tony stares after him. 

***

Brad is already in the coffee shop when Tony walks in, seated at their usual table. His eyes light up as he sees Tony walking towards him, and Tony wished he could feel the same excitement. 

"Hey, babe." Brad gives him a quick peck, knowing Tony is not a big fan of showing affection in public. 

Tony sits down across from him. "I went ahead and ordered for you, I hope you don't mind."

"Thank you." Tony takes a sip of the now only slightly warm coffee. Brad was a good boyfriend. He was handsome, mature, smart, and understanding. He had been there for Tony with the tapes and everything surrounding the death of a girl he hardly knew, because he understood how hard it had been on Tony. For once, he allowed himself to be vulnerable to someone, break down his walls and let someone else take care of him, because Tony was  _always_ the one who took care of everyone else. Brad was patient and never pushed Tony to talk about things he didn't want to, only encouraged him to say what he wanted, and let Tony know he was always there for him. And this only added to the guilt he felt, knowing that no matter how great Brad was, he still didn't feel that  _spark_ with him. And he wanted to. He wanted to so badly. But he just didn't.

"How was your day?" Brad asks.

"It was alright, school is school."

"High school will be over before you know it." Brad was a freshman at the local community college, and always loved to make it seem like he was so much older and wiser than Tony. 

"Yeah." Tony answers.

"You drive Clay home?" Brad questions, an accusing tone in his voice as he tries to look peaceful, though it's clear he's annoyed. They'd been getting into a lot more fights recently, mostly about Clay. Because didn't everything between him and Brad always come down to Clay? From the beginning of their relationship, Brad never approved of their friendship. Tony never spoke of his feelings for him, but he didn't really have to, Brad probably already knew anyway.

"I did." 

"He lives on the other side of town, just because he doesn't have a car doesn't mean you have to give him a ride  _every day_." Brad spits out. 

"Brad, please, don't make a scene. Don't make this a bigger deal than it is." Tony sees Skye give him a worried look from behind the counter, but Tony just shrugs at her apologetically. 

"But it is a big deal, Tony. In fact, I don't think I can keep doing this."

Tony's eyes widened. "Did you invite me here to break up with me?" He should have seen this coming, really. It was only been a matter of time.

"I like you so much, Tony." 

"I like you too!"

Brad shakes his head sadly. "I don't think you do. Not as much as you like  _him,_ anyway." And Tony doesn't even have to ask who he means.

"Brad, I..."

Brad drinks the rest of his coffee, and slams it on the table, standing up. "You have got to do something, Tony. Tell him how you feel, or _try_ to get over him. Because if you don't, no relationship you have will ever work out. As long as you have feelings for Clay, no other boy will ever be able to compare to him. And that isn't fair to anyone."

"I'm sorry." Tony stares down at his lap, not even having to courage to meet his angry gaze.

"I know you are."

And then Brad storms away, and Tony wraps his hands around the cold coffee mug, a million thoughts swirling in his head.


	2. Chapter 2

"You wanna talk about it?"

Tony looks up from his untouched, cold coffee, to see Skye in front of him. Her hair is in pigtails and she's in her usual goth attire. 

"Aren't you working?" He casts his eyes back down to the table. 

"I'm on break." 

Skye plops down next across from him. He had been hesitant around her at first, all the crazy physic shit she was into kind of freaked him out, but they'd become fast friends. It turned out that they had more in common than he thought; like tattoos and being gay for instance. Tony had almost instantly warmed up to her, and they'd gotten pretty close to each other lately. 

"I'm pretty sure you were able to hear Brad breaking up with me." He sighs. 

"I'm pretty sure  _everyone_ was able to hear Brad breaking up with you." She jokes. 

Tony scoots down farther in his seat. He wanted nothing more than to go to the shop and work on a car that needed fixing, because there was  _always_ a car that seemed to need fixing, or even to just go home and scream into a pillow; either option seemed appealing. But he knew Skye wasn't letting him leave without talking to her first. It was actually kind of comforting to know that she cared so much, but still, as much as Tony claimed to be a "talk it out" kind of guy, he didn't like talking about himself or his problems really. He just liked helping other people, and as long as the attention wasn't on him, he was more than happy.  

"But c'mon, you're not really that surprised, are you?" Skye questions. 

"Why would you think that?" 

Skye rolls her eyes. "Please, Tony. We both know you guys were bound to break up sometime. I'm actually shocked you weren't the one to break up with him, to be honest."

Tony doesn't say anything. Was it really so obvious that him and Brad were having problems? He didn't think it had been.

"It's clear you would much prefer to be with someone else."

Tony's eyes shoot up to glare at Skye, a heated and angry look in his gaze.  _She couldn't be talking about..._

"I don't know what, or who, you're talking about." He says defensively, crossing his arms for emphasis. 

"You think I don't notice?" Skye matches his hard stare. "I see the way you look at him. Don't try to tell me you're not in love with Clay."

Tony falters for a second, his heart rate picking up speed, and he's sure Skye can see the fear in his eyes.  _Love? He wasn't...he didn't...he could not be in love with Clay. Liking him, having a crush, that was one thing. But love? Tony Padilla did not fall in love._

 

"I think you're just confused, Skye." He tries to make himself sound even and calm, but he knows his voice must be close to cracking. "After all, boys aren't exactly your thing anyway."

He's obviously struck a chord in her, because Skye gets up from the table, looking a little upset, and a lot annoyed. "Whatever, Tony, I don't have to be into guys to see it. You're just lying to yourself anyway. Have fun continuing to be in denial, I have to get back to work." She snaps, straightening her apron, and walking away. 

"Say hi to Maria for me!" He shouts back, to which Skye only gives him the finger, not even looking back. Maria was one of his sister's friends, who, consequently, had a boyfriend. And Skye was all but head over heels for her. He knew it was a low blow, but he was mad. Though whether it was because Skye was taking things too far, or even the fact that maybe there was a small bit of truth to her words, he didn't know. 

 _Screw her,_ he thinks.

***

It was Saturday night, and Tony was babysitting a nine-year old girl from down the street. He'd made it through the week ignoring both Skye and Clay. He didn't have any classes with Skye, and they rarely saw each other at school, so she was easier to ignore. As for Clay however; he still gave him rides, but he didn't talk much during the drives, and he kept dodging Clay in the halls and ignoring his texts. It wasn't that he didn't _want_ to talk to him, he just couldn't. Seeing Clay made him think about his little..."problem", and he was doing everything he could to not think about it. He tried to throw all of his focus into school, for once, and into his work at the auto shop. So far, it had been working okay.

"Tony!" Nina squealed, "Give me a piggy-back ride!" She sets her doll down and pouts, giving him big puppy dog eyes.

"Again? I already gave you one!" He teases. 

"Again! Again!" 

He laughs, getting up from his spot on the couch and crouching down in front of the girl. She giggles excitedly, throwing her arms around his neck and clinging to him as he stands up. He puts a hand on her back to steady her, and runs through the house. 

"Faster! Go faster!" 

After a few minutes, he comes back to the living room, setting Nina down. He catches his breath, dramatically falling down onto the couch. "No more!"

Nina laughs, smiling brightly, and sits down next to him. "Tony, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He turns to face her, leaning his arm against the sofa and putting a hand to the side of his face in exaggerated interest. 

"Why are my parents getting divorced?"

Tony pauses, trying to think of the right thing to say. "Some people just don't end up working out, I guess. It has nothing to do with anyone except them." He says, in case Nina thinks she's the reason her parents are splitting up. So often kids think they're the cause of the parent's failed relationships.

Nina looks confused. "Do they not love each other?"

"I'm sure they did, Nin, they just fell out of love."

Nina furrows her eyebrows and tilts her head to the side. "How do you know when you're in love with someone?"

Tony sighs, staring down at his lap. He pauses again, choosing his words carefully after giving himself time to think about his answer. Tony never liked to think about love. Love always made everything more complicated. "You know you're in love with someone when...you crave them. Like not even necessarily like you can't stand to be apart from them or whatever, because yeah you feel like you wanna see them every minute, but you know you can handle being away from them because you'll see them eventually. You think about them long-term, not just in the moment. You crave everything about them." The words pour out of Tony, no longer slowly crafted, but spilling in a messy, jumbled manor. "You crave all of the little things; like the sound of their voice and their smile and the way their eyes seem to sparkle, like nothing you have ever seen before. You can see it in their eyes." Tony smiles to himself. "Everything about them seems interesting, even if it were anyone else, it would seem boring. And sometimes you hear them in your head. Like, when you're trying to make a decision, it's their voice you hear, telling you what the right thing to do is. Because when you're in love with someone...you want to be a better person. They  _make_ you a better person." Tony knows he has more he wants to say, but he's afraid if he says anything more, he won't be able to stop talking. There's a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach, and it's overwhelming. 

Nina is looking at him strangely, puzzled. "I don't understand love. It sounds weird." 

"It is."

 

Tony lays in bed that night, staring up at his ceiling fan, watching the blades spin around and around.  _I love Clay Jensen_ , he thinks.  _I'm in love with him._ He knows he can no longer deny it. He knew he had feelings for him, but he knew it was more than just a silly crush now. His heart sinks at this realization, because he also knows that Clay will never, not in a million years, feel the same way. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

He can't ignore him anymore. Part of Tony just wants to delete his number and never speak to him again, but another part of himself, the part that heavily outweighs the first, wishes for nothing more than to talk to Clay again. Because as much as it hurt to be friends with someone you loved, not having them in your life hurts a million times worse. Tony would rather spend the rest of his life, or at least the rest of his high school life, pining after an oblivious straight boy than having to end all contact with him. Sure, he'd have a better chance at getting over Clay if he cut him out of his life completely, but maybe there was a small part of Tony that didn't _want_ to get over him. Because moving on would mean that he had given up, that there was truly no chance of anything happening between him and Clay. And more than anything, Tony wanted to believe that Clay felt the same way about him, or that he would eventually. 

 

So, after two weeks of ignoring Clay, Tony leaves his house early to pick him up. He puts on a mix-tape that Clay had made, and anxiously taps his fingers on the steering wheel. He imagines how he'd react to seeing Tony, because surely Clay will be pissed at him. After all, why wouldn't he be? It had been so painful to read his texts; they had gone from  _hey, why didn't you pick me up?_ to  _im starting to get worried about you,_ to, the worst of all,  _i miss you._ It had been even worse seeing him in school. He had to intentionally go different routes to get to his classes, and he was always the last to get to school, and the first to leave. Clay had even come to his house a few days ago; Tony had been in his room with the music blaring, when his mother had knocked on his door. "Your friend is here to see you, the one with the bike." She had said, and Tony had only looked at her with pleading eyes and a shake of his head. He could hear his mother's excuse from downstairs; something about him not feeling well. That night, although he hadn't seen the look on Clay's face when he left, he was sure it was a crestfallen, disappointed look, and it had haunted him in his dreams.

When he saw him outside his house this morning, Clay would probably demand to know why Tony had been avoiding him, and what could he say? Not the truth, that was for sure. The rest of the drive, he tries to think of excuses he can tell Clay, but even once he pulls up amidst the quite street and the even quieter house, Tony has no idea what he is going to say. A couple seconds later, Clay comes out the door, shouting out a "Love you!" behind his back at his parents. He doesn't notice Tony's car at first, and goes to the garage to get his bike. He's sure Clay had been getting himself to and from school the past couple of weeks. It's only once he's mounting the bike that he sees Tony, and Tony knows the exact moment because Clay falters, freezing as he locks eyes with Tony. He probably can't see him very well because it's still dark, but either way it feels like his gaze is burning straight through him. It seems like a lifetime, though it's probably only a few seconds, but Clay is regaining his composure, and swings his leg over the bike. 

"Clay!" Tony hollers, and pulls down his window. "Clay, wait! Let me drive you to school!" He says as Clay enters the street, stopping right in front of Tony. He looks very, very angry. "Oh,  _now_ you want to give me a ride."

"Please, just get in the car."

Clay stays still for a second, helmet straps hanging unbuckled and dangling below his chin. "You don't have to give me a ride, Tony. It's okay." But the look on his face says otherwise. Tony hates himself for upsetting him. 

"I want to."

Clay bites his lip, then pedals back to the driveway. Tony can't help but grin, as he watches Clay put his bike and helmet back in the garage. 

"This doesn't mean I'm not still mad at you." He says, sliding into the passenger seat as Tony starts the car up again. 

"I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately." 

"Yeah, you haven't." Tony glances at Clay, who has his arms crossed and looks almost like he's pouting. He desperately wants to lean over and kiss that sour look off his face, but of course he doesn't, and instead focuses on the road again. 

"Are you going to tell me why you've been ignoring me or not? You know I'm not the only one you made upset, Skye misses you too." Tony feels his heart twist as he thinks of their last angry conversation at the coffee shop. He hasn't been back to Monet's since. He knows he needs to apologize to her.

"I didn't mean to upset either of you, I'm sorry."

He can all but imagine Clay rolling his eyes, though he slightly hopes Clay is still happy to see him now, and that he's smiling in spite of how angry he is. 

"Well?" He questions. 

"Brad broke up with me. You know, when he texted me to meet him at Monet's...he broke up with me there."

Clay puts a hand on his shoulder, and Tony almost flinches. Clay's touch feels like it's burning. "I'm so sorry, Tony. I had no idea."

"It happens." Tony says weakly. Much to his disappointment, Clay pulls his hand away. 

"He was stupid to break up with you, you're amazing."

Tony's heart flutters. Even the smallest of compliments from the boy always had an affect on him. "Not really, but thank you, Clay."

"I'm serious." Clay shifts in his seat, and Tony can feel his eyes on him. "You're smart, kind, understanding, protective, handy, and uh..." Clay pauses. "You're very...attractive."

Tony blushes, his heart hammering so fast and loud, Clay can probably hear it. _Why would he say something like that? He probably only said it to be nice. But then why did he hesitate and sound embarrassed when he said it?_

"Thanks..."

"And, you're so like...cool, you know?" Clay says quickly, trying to move away from the awkward tension between them. "With your Mustang and leather jacket and how you listen to cassette tapes."

"You can do better than, Brad." Clay states, gazing away from Tony. 

They both sit the rest of the way in silence, Tony thinking about what Clay had said. Because, to be honest, he didn't know if he  _could_ do better than Brad. Brad was everything you could possibly want in a boyfriend; he was much better than Tony's last boyfriend, Ryan. However, things still hadn't worked out for them. All because of Clay. Brad might've been everything, but Clay was everything and more.

And Tony thinks about what Brad had said, how no relationship would ever work out for him unless he was able to get over Clay. As much as he didn't want to, he _needed_ to. Because there was no way Clay had feelings for him too, was there? He thinks about all the times he's caught Clay staring at him, the way his touches sometimes seem unnecessary and last a little too long, the way Clay praises him and holds him up to be this larger than life figure. Was it maybe possible that Clay liked him back?


	4. Chapter 4

After school, instead of immediately getting into his Mustang and driving off, Tony waits for Clay. Even if Clay is still mad at him, he won't refuse the ride, because he doesn't have his bike. Within a couple minutes, he spots Clay coming out of the school. He has his head down, headphones in; the Walkman Tony had ended up giving to him instead of only letting him borrow it, shoved in the pocket of his hoodie. Tony loved making him mix-tapes to listen to. He smiles to himself as Clay catches his gaze. He waves, and Clay gives him a small smile, heading towards him.

"So, are we back to normal?" Clay jokes as he comes to a stop in front of Tony, pausing the music and putting his headphones around his neck. 

"Of course." 

On impulse, he reaches his hand out to run his fingers through Clay's hair. It's all flat and matted down, like he's been wearing his hood up for awhile or something. Clay watches him, not pulling away.  _Idiot,_ Tony curses himself. He stares into Clay's bright blue eyes, forgetting everything around him completely. His fingers stop moving, and he wills himself to pull his hand away.

"Sorry." Tony forces out a laugh. "Your hair was bothering me."

Clay looks at him strangely, but then laughs too. "You and hair. You're still not getting me to put product in it."

Tony smiles in embarrassment. "We'll see about that, Jensen." He brushes past Clay to open the driver's seat door and gets in. 

"You ever gonna tell me why you stopped talking to me?" Clay questions as he starts the car. Tony gulps; he still hasn't thought of anything to say as an excuse for ignoring Clay for two weeks. Because he can't possibly tell him the truth, can he? Tony had spent the entire day going back and forth, muddling over whether there was any chance his feelings for Clay were mutual. And they weren't, right? Every little thing that had happened with Clay that might've been a sign that his crush wasn't totally one-sided, Tony had ruled off as just him overthinking things. Clay liked girls. If he liked boys too, surely he would've told Tony that. They were best friends. And it wasn't like he wouldn't have accepted it and been okay with it. So, no. It would be best if he just went right back to stuffing his feelings for Clay way down deep. What good would telling him do? Screw what Brad and Skye thought. 

"Um." Tony squeaks, swerving around somebody in a Jeep pulling out, as he speeds towards the exit. 

"Was it something I did?" Clay says in a nervous voice, making Tony ache. "I'm sorry if I did anything wrong."

"You didn't do anything." Tony assures him. 

"Then what happened? Were you so upset about Brad that you couldn't even talk to me?" Clay asks, clearly upset and concerned. "I could understand not wanting to talk to Skye, but Tony...you know that I am always here for you. You could've come to me. You always can."

They come to a stop at a red light, and Tony rests his hand on the center console, trying to think of what to say. Clay reaches out, and touches Tony's hand. He rubs his thumb over his knuckles before resting his hand over Tony's. His gaze seems to burn into him, but Tony doesn't look over, keeping his eyes firmly in front of him and on the road, his other hand gripping the steering wheel tightly. He tries not to react to Clay's touch; part of him wanting to quickly pull away, but the other part of himself wants to take Clay's hand. 

"I love you, Tony. You know that."

Tony's heart breaks.  _Not the way I want you to,_ he thinks. Then the light changes to green, and Clay pulls his hand away. 

"I love you too, Clay." Tony almost chokes up saying the words. There's so much more he wants to say too. Something like: _I think I'm in love with you, Clay. I ignored you because I'm scared of my feelings for you. You drive me crazy._ But he can't say any of that. He just can't.

"I'm sorry I was avoiding you. I...I was going through something."

"What?" Clay presses. 

Tony feels tears welling up in his eyes, and he hopes Clay doesn't notice. "I don't think I can tell you, Clay."

"What?" Clay exclaims, hurt. "Why not?"

"I just can't. I'm sorry."

Clay huffs, throwing his back hard against the seat. "It's not because I don't trust you, okay? I just can't talk about it." Tony hates himself for upsetting Clay once again.

"Okay." He says, dejectedly. 

The rest of the ride to Clay's house is silent. They pull up in front of the house, and Tony stops the car. "I'm sorry if I upset you in any way, Clay." He unbuckles his seat belt, turning around to face Clay. The hurt in his eyes is evident. "It wasn't intentional. You're my...you're my best friend, you know that."

"Yeah?" Clay snaps, "well sometimes it doesn't feel that way." Then he unbuckles his own seat belt and opens the door, slamming it closed and stalking off towards his house, not even looking back once, even as Tony calls out his name several times. 

He thinks about following him, but decides not to. Clay needs time to cool down. He'll realize this isn't about him. He always does. Throughout their friendship, stuff like this happened. Clay would say Tony wasn't telling him something, but Tony would always say it wasn't anything or that he couldn't tell him, and Clay would be angry at first, but then he always forgave him. Tony just hoped he would forgive him this time too. 

 

Tony parks in front of Monet's an hour later. Skye always works on Thursdays. He decided that he couldn't ignore her forever either. He spots her at the counter, taking an order from a short girl he recognizes from school, though he can't think of her name. He stands behind her. 

Once the girl is done, Tony walks up to the counter. Skye's blank expression turns into a frown. She pauses, and then says, "What can I get you?"

Tony puts his hands on the counter, leaning over it. "Skye, please."

"Yes?" She says, smashing her lips together, trying to stop herself from saying something snarky. 

"Do you have a second to talk?"

"In case you couldn't tell, I'm a little busy right now. And you're holding up the line." Tony glances behind him to see a couple waiting; a guy and a girl probably a few years older than himself, hand in hand. He gives them an apologetic smile. 

"Please, I'm sorry. What I said was out of line and I acted like an ass ignoring you. I already apologized to Clay too."

Skye rolls her eyes. "I'll take my break in a few minutes." 

He grins, turning to leave, but pauses. "Oh, and Skye?"

She smiles. "I know your order, I'll bring it to you." 

About ten minutes later, Skye hands him a mug of coffee and sits down across from him. 

He launches into a quickly apology: talking about how their fight was entirely his fault, he shouldn't have just ignored her for weeks, and that she's such an amazing friend and he didn't know what he'd do without her.

"Okay, okay." She throws her hands up, silencing him. "You're forgiven."

Tony catches his breath and leans back in his chair. "Thanks."

"Now how did it go with, Clay?" She questions, narrowing her eyes at him. 

Tony shrugs. "I told him I was sorry. That it wasn't anything he did wrong, and that I wasn't ignoring him on purpose. He seemed kind of mad though, still. He'll get over it."

"But Tony, this  _was_ about him. It's always about him."

He scoots down farther in his seat, sighing. 

"You need to cut the crap and tell Clay how you feel."

"I can't!" Tony quickly counters.

"You  _can_ and you  _need_ to. This isn't just some random crush, Tony! You've been into him for so long, and it's been taking a toll on your friendship. I know you're scared of losing him if you tell him, but you might lose him anyway if you don't say anything."

He knows she's right. She's always right.

"Look, Clay cares about you, you know? You guys are best friends. You'll get through this."

"But what if he hates me?" Tony asks, voice quivering. "I can't have him hate me, Skye, I can't."

"You don't know that he will, though!"

"Skye, do you...do you think there's any chance Clay might have feelings for me too?"

Skye chews her lips, thinking over what to say. She leans over, holding his gaze with a serious expression. "I never wanted to get your hopes up in case I was wrong, or I thought maybe you wouldn't believe me, but...I think he  _might."_

Tony's eyes widen. "If you thought so, why didn't you tell me!"

"I just told you why, geez! I mean...do you ever see the way he looks at you? It's weird, sometimes he just stares at you."

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty good-looking." Tony laughs, stretching out his leather jacket and leaning back in his seat. Skye rolls her eyes. 

"Whatever. Clay seems pretty straight, but you never know. It's just a guess, I'm not saying that he does like you. But either way, you  _do_ need to talk to him."

Tony pulls out his phone, gripping it tightly, debating on whether or not he should text Clay. 

"Talk to him, Tony." Skye says earnestly, getting up from her seat. "You know this can't go on forever. If you don't do anything, you might seriously lose him. He'll think it's fault. He knows there's been something off with you."

Tony sits there for what seems like hours, before finally starting a text to Clay.

_Meet me at our spot in half an hour. I need to tell you something._


	5. Chapter 5

This isn't the next chapter, I'm sorry. I know it's been awhile since I've updated, and I apologize. This summer has been very hard for me, mental health wise. I've been depressed a lot and haven't done much of anything. But I want to continue this fic. Hope you guys will be patient enough to stick around and be here for when I really do come out with a new chapter. School is starting soon, so hopefully I will have more motivation to actually do things. Love you guys!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think?


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